TWO swimming pools for Sheppey schoolchildren and members of the public to use may be built at Minster College as part of a proposed multi-million pound sports complex.

Brian Lloyd, director of community at the school, said: "We don't really want to have this solely for school use. We want to offer it to the whole community and it would be something that they could be proud of." The complex, which could cost up to £8 million, may include two, 25 metre pools, a large sports hall, gymnasiums, a health centre, meeting rooms, an outdoor floodlit ball court and an outdoor artificial pitch.

Sheppey United Football Club has already been offered use of the pitch.

Forty-two architecture students from the University of Kent have been working on ideas for the complex after visiting the college which has 1,800 pupils. The students, commissioned by the Kent Architects Centre, will return to the college on February 21 for an open day when local residents and other members of the public are invited to give their views about what they would like to see included in the scheme.

The day runs from 11am to 7pm, with students presenting their revised design ideas to the public for the final hour. The public consultation could result in an architectural competition to find the most suitable designs, he added.